Steam iron



Dec. 30, 1958 s. R. BRICKER 2,866,283

STEAM IRON Filed March 5, 1957 INVENTOR SAMUEL R. BRICKE United States Patent ()fiice STEAM IRON Samuel R. Bricker, Shelby, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 5, 1957, Serial No. 644,072 4 Claims. Cl. 38-77) This invention relates to steam irons and has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact, easily stored steam iron of the so called travellers type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a single adjustable control device for an iron of the class set forth, whereby the iron may be readily converted from steaming to dry ironing operation, which device also conditions the iron for the delivery of water to its reservoir during a filling operation.

Further objects of the invention are to carry out dry ironing operations withoutth-e necessity of draining the water from the iron and to prevent spilling of water from the iron during all operating periods.

In practicing the invention, a compact, lightweight iron is provided having a generally conventional soleplate, the latter being provided with a vaporization chamber and the usual steam discharge passages for delivering steam to the fabric being treated. Preferably, a shell is superimposed on the soleplate and a handle of the so-called open-end type is fixed to the shell for the manipulation of the iron. The handle is hollow and preferably functions as the water reservoir. The handle is also provided with a bore extending through the grip portion of the handle and communicating with the water reservoir disposed in the rear or post portion of the handle. A suitable valve controls flow of water from the reservoir to the vaporization chamber, which valve is actuated by a tubular control member slidably mounted in the bore for axial movement. The tubular member is provided with a finger piece or knob at the front end of the grip for the axial adjustment of the tubular member to three positions. In the first position of the member, the valve is open for steaming operation. In the second and third positions of the member, the valve is closed for dry ironing and filling, respectively. In the third or filling position, an opening in the tubular member, concealed within the bore in the first and second positions of the member, is exposed, so that water may be admitted to the tubular member for delivery to the reservoir.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in. which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in section, of a steam iron constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention; and i Fig. 2 is a front view taken from the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Reference will now be had to the drawing disclosing the invention applied to a steam iron having a soleplate or ironing base 10, a shell 11 suitably secured thereon and a handle 12 of the so-called open-end type fixed to the shell 11. The handle 12 includes an upright post portion 13 and a cantilevered grip portion 14 extending forwardly therefrom and terminating at its front end in spaced relation above the shell 11. An open-end handle 2,866,283 Patented Dec. 30, 1958 of the type disclosed facilitates the ironing of relatively complicated and tubular garments, as portions of the garment may be gathered or passed between the handle and the shell during the ironing of a second portion of the garment, all of which is well understood.

The ironing base 10 may be of any suitable construcmen, including a vaporization chamber 15, a steam outlet passage 16 and a plurality of steam discharge ports, some of which are shown at 17 and receiving steam'from the passage 16. It will be understood that the base 10 has several steam ports 17 strategically spaced therein for the eflicient delivery of steam to the garment being pressed. As shown, the steam passage 16 leading to the various ports 17 is formed in the top of the soleplate 10 and is covered by a plate 18 suitably secured to the base 10. The base 10 may be heated electrically in any suitable manner and, in the interest of brevity and clearness of illustration, the heating means has not been disclosed nor has the attachment cord usually used for energizing the heater; these elements per se forming no part of the present invention.

A reservoir for water is provided above the steam generating chamber 15, and is preferably enclosed within the handle 12, as indicated at 19. The bottom of the reservoir is closed by a plate 21 whichpas shown, forms apart of a valve structure, generally indicated at 22 and having a discharge passage 23 communicating with the vaporization chamber 15. Preferably, a dome or cover 24 is provided as a cover for the vaporization chamber 15 and is brazed or otherwise secured to the plate 18, which cover 24 is also suitably secured to the valve structure 22. The valve structure 22 includes a needle valve 25 which, in its lower position, closes the passage 23 and, in its upper position, as shown, permits the metering of water from the reservoir 19 to the chamber 15. Preferably, the needle valve 25 is biased toward its closed position by a compression spring 20 carried by the valve structure 22 and bearing against a shoulder 27 formed on the needle valve 25.

In accordance with the present invention, opening and closing of the valve 22 is effected by a hollow tubular control member 31 slidably mounted for axial movement in a cylindrical seat or bore 32 extending lengthwise within the grip 14. The inner end of the tubular member 31 engages one arm 33 of a bellcrank 34 pivoted, as shown at 35, to a portion of the valve structure 22. The bellcrank 34 includes a second arm 36 bearing against a shoulder 37 formed on the needle valve 25. In the position of the tubular control member 31 and bellcrank 34, as shown, the needle valve 25 is held open in opposition to the spring 26 so that water is metered to the vaporization chamber 15 from the reservoir 19. This position of the control member 31 provides for steaming of the material being treated; the water metered to the chamber 15 being flashed into steam which passes to the material through the passage 16 and ports 17.

Adjustment of the control member 31 from its first or steaming position, as shown, to second and third positions is elfected manually. A knob or finger piece 38 is fixed to the control member 31 at the front end thereof and is adjacent the end of the grip 14 in the first or steaming position of the tubular control member 31. It will be understood that the knob 38 closes the front end of thetubular member 31 so that at no time can water be spilled at this position during the manipulation of the iron. The second position of the control member 31 and its knob 33 is indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 1) while the third or outermost position is shown in dot and dash lin es. In both the second and third positions of the member 31, the valve 22 is closed; the msm sr. 3 b i i n ged m h l cra T e second position of the member 31 is the drying ironing position in which pressing is effected without steam. The third position of the member 31 is the filling position, and admission of water to the reservoir 19 is carried out in this position. As shown, the upper side of the tubular member 31 is provided with an opening 41,

which, in the first and second positions of the member 31,

as described, is concealed within the grip 14. In the third or filling position of the member 31, the opening 41 is available adjacent the front end of the grip 14 for 42 is disposed within the grip for engagement with recesses 43 provided in the bottom of the member 31.

It will be understood that the recesses are properly spaced to position the member 31 in its first, second and third positions, as described. Rotation of the member 31 about the axis of the seat or bore 32 is prevented by a protuberance 44 extending within the bore 32 and nestled in a longitudinal groove 45 formed in the tubular member 31.

From the description which precedes, it will be apparent that a compact steam iron construction is provided suitable for irons of the travelers type. While the water reservoir is preferentially disclosed within the handle, it will be understood that it may be located otherwise, for example, within the shell. In the latter event, the water valve may be controlled and the filling of the iron carried out in the same manner disclosed in the preferred embodiment which has been selected for illustration. The use of a single element for controlling steaming as well as the filling of the iron with fluid, in conjunction with an open-end handle provides an iron of great utility and convenience.

While the invention has been shown in one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steam iron, the combination of an ironing base having a vaporization chamber and steam discharge ports communicating therewith, means arranged above the base for manipulating the iron and including a hollow handle having a supporting post extending above a rear portion of the ironing base and a grip extending for- ,wardly from the post above the ironing base, means defining a water reservoir above the base, a valve structure controlling fiow of water from the reservoir to the vaporization chamber, a valve actuating member mounted within the grip and adjustable to three positions, means responsive to adjustment of said member to a first position for opening the valve structure for the delivery of water from the reservoir to the vaporization chamber, means effective in second and third positions of said member to close the valve structure, means responsive to adjustment of the valve actuating member to its third position for afiording access to the water reservoir for the delivery of water thereto and means carried by the valve actuating member adjacent the front end of the grip portion of the handle for adjusting the valve actuating member to its recited positions.

2. In a steam iron, the combination of a soleplate having a water vaporization chamber and steam discharge ports communicating therewith, mean arranged above the soleplate for the manipulation of the iron and including a handle having a supporting post extending above a rear portion of the soleplate and a grip extending forwardly fro-m the post above the soleplate, said handle being hollow for defining a reservoir for water and a cylindrical bore extending through the grip and communicating with the reservoir, a valve controlling flow of water from the reservoir to said vaporization chamber, a generally cylindrical control member disposed within said bore and manually adjustable therein to first, second and third positions, means responsive to adjustment of the control member to its first station for actuating the valve to its open position, means effecting closing of the valve responsive to adjustment of the control member to its second and third positions, said control member having a passage therein for delivering water to the reservoir, means responsive to the adjustment of the control member to its third position for providing access to the passage for the admission of water thereto, said control member closing the passage in the first and second positions thereof, and a knob carried by the front end of the control member for the actuation thereof.

3. In a steam iron, the combination of an ironing base having a vaporization chamber and steam discharge ports communicating therewith, means carried by the base for manipulating the iron and including a handle having a supporting post arranged adjacent the rear of the base and a cantilevered grip extending forwardly from the post, said handle being hollow for defining a reservoir for water and a bore extending through the grip and communicating with the reservoir, a valve controlling flow of Water from the reservoir to the vaporization chamber, a hollow tubular member arranged in said bore and movable axially of the bore to first, second and third control positions, means responsive to movement of the member to its first control position for opening the valve, and means responsive to the movement of the member to its second and third positions for closing the valve, said tubular member having an opening formed in a wall thereof through which water is admitted to the tubular member for delivery to the reservoir, said opening being concealed within the grip in the first and second positions of the tubular member and accessible for the reception of water in the third position of the member, and a knob for actuating the tubular member and disposed adjacent the front end of the grip portion of the handle.

4. In a steam iron, the combination of an ironing base having a vaporizing chamber and steam discharge ports communicating therewith, a shell carried by the base, a hollow handle having a supporting post connected to the rear of the shell and including a cantilevered grip extending forwardly from the post and above the shell, said handle enclosing a water reservoir and a bore communicating with the reservoir and extending lengthwise through the grip, a valve controlling flow of water from the reservoir to the vaporization chamber, means biasing the valve closed, valve actuating means including a tubular member slidably carried for axial movement within said bore and adjustable to a first position for engaging and opening the valve in opposition to the biasing means, said member being adjustable outwardly of the grip to second and third positions wherein the valve is disengaged and closed by the biasing means, said tubular member having an opening formed therein concealed within the grip in the first and second positions of the member and exposed in the third position thereof for the reception of water to be passed through the tubular member to the reservoir, and an actuating knob carried by the tubular member adjacent the front end of the grip for adjusting the member to its first, second and third positions.

References Gited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,501,028 Charland Mar. 21, 1950 2,719,371 Brace Oct. 4, 1955 2,750,695 Swenson June 19, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 487,902 Italy Dec. 11, 1953 

